Failure analysis of semiconductor wafers is the process of collecting and analysing data to determine the cause of a failure within materials, structures, devices and circuits fabricated thereon. Such analysis provides vital information when developing new products and improving existing products. Typically, this type of analysis relies on collecting failed components for subsequent examination of the cause of failure using various methods, such as microscopy and spectroscopy. The disadvantage of this approach is that the analysis is not carried out in real time during the manufacturing process which may result in a large number of faulty devices being manufactured before detection.
There is therefore a need for an inspection device which addresses at least some of the drawbacks of the prior art.